Machine for sweeping streets



- =PATBYNTED SEPT. 9, 1856.

R]. A. SMITH 'STRBBT SWEBPING MACHINE.

UNITED STATE$ PATENT OFFICE.

ROBT. A. SMITH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR SWEEPING STREETS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,710, dated September 9, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. SMITH, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street- Sweeping Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the an nexed drawing, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top View of the machine.

Fi 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fim.

3 is a horizontal section on line y y. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line a a. Fig. 5 is a section on 00 :1: taken perpendicular to the side of the machine. Fig. 6 is a view showing manner of fastening brush stock upon end castings.

Similar characters of reference in the several figures denote the same part of the machine.

The nature of my invention consists in of machine with the adjustments connected therewitlnhereinafter to be described, constitute my invention, which will readily be understood from the following description and reference to the drawing, in which the several parts are thus represented.

A frame, made light, and mounted on three wheels, so as readily to be attached to an ordinary cart; B broom cylinder, hung under axle a of traveling wheels by chains 0 c, and rotated by endless chains 12. The boxes (Z of the brush axle '0 move in curved guides 7 described around the axis of the pulley shaft g, so as in all positions of the broom cylinder to preserve the tightness of the driving chain Z). This cylinder is raised and lowered by means of the wheel h and worm or screw 2'. C elevator frame, hung in main frame on shaft j, andprovided with wheels or rollers is at bottom. It is adjusted in inclination by the brace Z and pin, or by a ratchet lever. Within this frame is the elevator, consisting of apron m and a series of buckets n, and moved by chain 0 passing over pulleys p and 9. Along the sides of the conveyor run the chains r 7, serving as sides to the buckets, and as movers of the elevator. D gutter brush, with brooms set spirally, suspended forward of main cylinder broom, the opposite end of its shaft 8 being held by box g and movable in guides or by screw t (as shown in Fig. 4), for the adjustment of the brush to the inclination of the gutter. This brush is rotated by chain a passing over a pulley on shaft of main cylinder and pulley b on shaft 8. E casing on under side of elevator frame for catching the dirt thrown over the sides of the elevator by the brooms and by. reason of its inward inclination depositing it in the track of the brush cylinder, and thus preventing the ridges of dirt left by other machines.

The broom cylinders are made up of a shaft upon which are cast heads with flanges, into which the brush blodks are fitted, while bolts fasten the said brush blocks upon the heads, this insures the firm construction of the brush and at the same time enables a single block to be removed at pleasure for repair or replacement. a

The operation of the machine is as follows: The machine is attached to the rear of an ordinary cart, and drawn forward. The rotation of the large spur wheel G, gives motion to shaft gthrough pinion H, producing movement of chain Z) and rotating main brush cylinder. This sweeps the dirt directly upon the endless conveyer, which is moved upward by the meshing of pinion I with pinion H, giving motion to shaft f. The dirt thus carried up falls into the cart in front. brush, adjusted to the pro-per inclination, revolves by chain connection a with the main brush, and by reason of the spiral arrangement of its brooms carries the dirt from the gutter into the path of the main cylinder brush. The dirt thrown over the sides of the conveyer, by the brooms falls into the inward inclined case and is thus deposited in the path of the brush as above described. The method of adjusting the gutter brush by means of the box screw t and guides 02, prevents all motion to the end of the shaft 8, except that of rotation since the screw t will not prevent the box. to move in the guides and the guides will prevent its lateral movement. For this reason the ar- Meantime the gutterrangement specified presents an obvious advantage over any other mode of suspending the end of shaft 8. When the brooms wear, the cylinder is adjusted by the turning of screw ?1 as above described.

The hanging of the main cylinder under the axle a enables the brooms to conform to the inequalities of surface passed over, a result not attained by the usual mode of han ging the brush in front or behind that axle.

In this machine the main brush cylinder, the elevator and the gutter brush bear an important relation to each other and to the mechanism operating said parts; since the elevator runs on the ground in front of the main brush and is adjustable to conform to said cylinder. And moreover the gutter brush acts with the main cylinder brush in delivering the dirt to the conveyer. The gearing connection is such that the gutter brush is driven from the shaft of the cylinder brush, and the conveyor is driven from the shaft on which its frame is hung motion being communicated to that shaft from the rotation of the shaft giving motion to the main cylinder. Thus the several parts of this machine are rendered mutually dependent on each other, and operate together as a whole. The brush end of the gutter brush shaft is raised and lowered by means of a chain attached to said shaft and passing over a pulley on shaft m, this shaft being rotated by crank 21/.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Placing the main broom cylinder under the axle of the traveling wheels substantially as, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The curved guides f of broom cylinder axle, concentric with the driving pulley, for keeping the driving band tight in all positions of the said cylinder.

3. Hanging the conveyer on its driving shaft with its lower extremity resting on wheels running on the surface of the ground, as and for the purposes specified.

4. The arrangement of screw, box and guides with the shaft of the gutter brush, for regulating the inclination and preventing the oscillation of the said brush substantially as specified.

nesses.

ROBERT A. SMITH Witnesses:

GEO. PATTEN, JOHN S. HoLLINosi-iEAD. 

